Help Me Buy A Used Car

[Belia]

I was just in a pretty bad car accident last Friday and I'm pretty sure my car is totaled. I should know for sure by tomorrow.

I don't want a car payment, so that means that we'll be buying a used car. I've never bought a used car in my life.

We've narrowed our choices down to 5 models we're interested in. My question for you fine ladies is..... how do I know what price to offer once we've made our final decision?

It seems like there are rules and guidelines re: invoices and dealer costs for NEW cars, but I am completely flummoxed by the whole used car thing.

Neither DH nor I are confrontative, hard-charging types, so needless to say we're crappy negotiators. Dang it. Any hints or tips would be greatly appreciated.

[A&A]

Get a CarFax vehicle report to see if it has been in an accident.

And check the price(s) in the Kelley Blue Book.

You'll have to pay for a CarFax, but it's worth it.

http://www.carfax.com/

http://www.cars.com/go/kbb/kbbInput.jsp

[Italiamom]

Originally Posted by A&A

And check the price(s) in the Kelley Blue Book.

You can access Kelley Blue Book directly here:

http://www.kbb.com/used-cars

Also, remember that used car values differ depending on who you're buying from. Is it a private party? Or a dealer? What is the condition of the car? Just because a dealer is selling a car, doesn't mean it should necessarily fetch a dealer price. Remember, a dealer should offer some kind of short term warranty (usually 10,000 miles), have completed a mechanical inspection, and the car should be in top notch shape and have been meticulously detailed. Anything less means that you should pay less than the dealer KBB price.

I personally think that you get a better deal by going through a private party, but you'll probably have to pay a mechanic (make sure it's YOUR mechanic, and not the selling party's) to have a pre-purchase inspection done. Make sure you drive the car first in a few different scenarios (get on the highway, do a little stop and go, and a short jaunt on a curvy road). And come prepared with how much the car is actually worth (find out the year, make, model, and milage, and KBB it before you look).

Good luck!

[GearGirl]

I'm sorry about your accident, that must have been scary!

I just bought my first used car as well, I didn't want a car payment either. The first step is to determine your budget and/or the car that you want and what year you can afford within that budget. Across the board I was told (by my mechanic, a dealer mechanic, and others) that Japanese cars are a much better bet as far as reliability. I was set on a VW Beetle so I didn't listen, but just thought I would share that. My mechanic is a European Auto mechanic and he said go with a Honda or Toyota, LOL.

After that, you are definitely going to pay more if you buy from a dealer, definitely. However, you might have some things thrown in. I had all my tires replaced and the bumper scratches fixed at a body shop, so all in all I probably didn't pay much more through the dealer but they dealt with all the paperwork, and it was just easier.

Things you really need to do:

1. Carfax report, it won't show everything, but it is a good start.
2. Bring it to your own mechanic, it will run at most $100.00 but it is so worth it. I didn't have my own so I just found a good one near me and the first car I brought him was a huge NO so it was money well spent! Even a dealers car should go to your private mechanic, the dealers are even more sketchy than the private parties sometimes. The first nightmare car I had was a dealer car!
3. Single owner cars are usually better options (Carfax will show the # of owners)
4. And the obvious low miles are better!
5. Consumer reports will list best used car options for each price point, so if you aren't set on something this is a really good way to research. I also found edmunds.com really helpful for reviews.

Good Luck! I'm happy with my car, and it does seem a better deal to buy used!

[Angela512]

You will not always pay more for a vehicle from a dealer. Do not buy something on a whim. Shop around. My husband was getting annoyed that it took me 4 months to find my truck (Expedition). I would see ones that I like, drive it around...but none of them "felt" right. Then we drove past this dealer who had my Expedition on the lot. He was selling it for $8,500 (78,000 miles). I saw a similar year/make/model from a private party for $10,500 (it had 150,000 miles on it!!!). After having the truck (the dealer one) checked out by the mechanic (perfect condition) and driving it around, we bought that one...cash...for $7,900 out the door. It was a great deal.

The moral of the story being: shop around, price shop, comparison shop until the car you buy is THE car. Don't feel rushed to buy something because you "need" to. We did that once and ended up regretting it for 2 years.

[annettemarie]

Moving to Frugality and Finances, as per the TAO Guidelines

[Jaxinator]

If you have a Carmax in your area I highly recommend going there. No haggling, which I love.
I've bought two wonderful cars from them, and will get a third when the time comes.

[punkrockmomma]

I would highly recommend a used Hyundai. I was able to get a 2002 Hyundai Elantra GT, which is fully loaded: leather seats, power everything, 4 doors, hatch back, sunroof, and key-less entry, for $3900. I did a lot of research on cars, and have found that Hyundai's, that are newer than 2000, can be just as good as a Japanese car, and they are a lot cheaper. I also recommend taking any car you are seriously interested in to your mechanic, to have it check out. I also recommend getting a carfax report on any used car you are interested in. I would look at Craig's List too, that's where I found my car.

[Tjej]

I went used car shopping with my dad a few times and what he did (that seemed to work) was:

Don't look good (go ahead and wear your Saturday work clothes, DH doesn't shave, etc.).
Be willing to walk away/leave and come back a few hours later (or never).

When DH and I bought our used wagon we did walk away from it and drove a really hard bargain. So hard, in fact, that the dealership sent the wagon to auction instead of taking our price! BUT we did call back before it was sold at auction and bought it at the lowest the dealership was willing to go on it. It wasn't a bad price, DH and I had just been a little greedy/overly aggressive, I think.

There are always more cars out there, and it works best if you aren't in a hurry. Like, don't tell them that you are in dire need of a replacement for your totalled car. That puts you at a disadvantage.

And know the bluebook values, but that has already been mentioned.

Tjej

[nd_deadhead]

Edmunds.com has good advice for buying used cars, as well as reviews of most makes and models.